The Jaguars - Jacksonville and College Football

[copperfiend]

Jacksonville is an SEC town through and through. You could put Ole Miss and South Carolina here and it would sellout.

I seriously doubt this.  UF football might sellout but few other SEC teams would.

Want more prpoof....the Mighty Gators routinely play basketball games in Jax...last week they played JU and the arena wasn't close to half full!

I believe he is right but I don't think it because Jacksonville is an SEC town. I think it is because SEC schools have bigger alumni bases than ACC or Big East schools are they travel to games. As an example, if Ole Miss played Wisconsin in the Gator Bowl, the majority of those attending would be fans of either school. This has no bearing on Jacksonville. The Capital One Bowl in Orlando doesn't sell out every year because Orlando is an SEC town. It is because it offers an attractive matchup of schools with large fan bases.

[mtraininjax]

I disagree, I think SEC schools would sell better because the South has college football as its national pastime, where as the North has always revolved around the NFL. I believe Atlanta was the first NFL team in the deep south, late 60s (?). While Atlanta has grown, the Falcons were miserable for so many years and even this year, in Mike Smith's 2nd year, have not been able to sellout the GA Dome for some games. But they could for the Chick-Fil-A kickoff, SEC Championship and Peach bowl.

You bring 2 SEC schools together at the Gator Bowl, for a home game for one of them, the schools will leave richer and the city will benefit as well. After all, the sport is all about Money.

[copperfiend]

Are Atlanta residents buying tickets for those games or are fans of the teams playing. In September, the Ga Dome was packed for the Va Tech/Bama game. Most people at the game travelled from outside the area.

[mtraininjax]

In a town of more than 2 million, and if you read the sports papers for the local clubs that hold sport watching parties, you have to believe that there are just a few local fans of sports in Atlanta.

[copperfiend]

I don't doubt that there are. But SEC schools sell out no matter where they play. But a pro sports team based in Atlanta is reliant on locals buying tickets. Bowl games and neutral site games are mostly attended by fans travelling from outside the market.

[tufsu1]

no...some SEC schools always sell out...in football, Miss. State, Vandy and Kentucky do not.

[copperfiend]

I should have said SEC schools that actually make bowl games. But you get the point. Selling out the Georgia/Florida game and a bowl game with an SEC school doesn't make Jacksonville an "SEC town".

[stjr]

If you use TV ratings, rather than game attendance, as a barometer of interest by locals, the NFL has traditionally outdrawn college games, even the Gators, with few exceptions.  This would indicate that the NFL has more fan interest than college unless the Gators or Noles are competing for the national championship.  It makes sense, too.  Everyone in Jax is a local resident, and thus potential Jag fan, but only a limited percentage, while significant, are alums or hangers-on to the Gators or Noles.